Operation: Best Christmas EVAH!
by Little Christian
Summary: Private wants a great first Christmas for the Chicks, but Skipper says he can't be bothered with all the decorating. So Private hatches a plan... One-shot.


**This is my PoM Christmas story! YAY!**

Christmas Eve; 0600 hours

"Rico, Kowalski and I are heading out for some recon, so Private, you're in charge," Skipper ordered his team mate, who saluted in reply.

"Aye, Skippah!" he nodded. "One question, sir?"

"What is it?"

"Will we be doing Christmas this year, sir?" he asked, almost in a whisper.

"Christmas? Why would you want to do that, Private?" Skipper asked. Private pointed to the fives little chicks behind him. "Oh, you wanna make sure the chicks' first Christmas is the best one they'll ever have?"

"Uh, yes… sir."

"Well, permission denied, soldier," Skipper said firmly. "I can't waste my time putting up tinsel, and fairy lights."

"Oh, I see," Private sighed. "Very well, sir."

"Now, we'd better go. Come on, Rico!"

Private sighed, then he felt a small tug at his flipper.  
"Daddy?" Gracie asked in her sweet British accent, looking up at him with her big eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Why… nothing," Private said, looking determined. "Come on, you lot; we have a mission of our own to do!" The chicks looked up, and gasped in surprise, and excitement.

Cam, Ace and Cleo slipped into the souvenir shop, looking at all the Christmas themed merchandise.

"Man, this must be some big holiday!" Ace exclaimed.

"Yeah," Cam agreed. "Everyone makes a big fuss about it."

"I have done research, and it was originally a Christian holiday to celebrate the birth of this man called Jesus. I have no idea what significance he has with this holiday, but almost everyone celebrates it."

"Almost everyone?" Ace asked.

"Yeah, people of other religions, like Jews celebrate other holidays."

"Enough jibber-jabber, guys! Let's get on with the mission!" Cam began to grow impatient. **(I'm sorry; began?)**

"I see the objective," Cleo informed her. "Fake tree straight ahead!"

"Great! Ace, go get it!"  
"On it, skipper!" Ace saluted, and belly-slid towards the shelf with the tree. He picked it up, with some difficulty, and waddled as fast as his little feet could carry him.

"Right, let's get back to HQ!" Cam instructed, as led the way out of the store.

Gracie and Rusty kept lookout for the trio to arrive. They finally did, and Rusty took the tree from Ace.

"Thanks!" he said. Ace saluted him, and slid off after the girls for the second part of their mission. Gracie and Rusty jumped down into the HQ, and set the tree in the middle of the floor.

"Put it by the window," Gracie suggested, and Rusty did so. "Much better."

"Okay, Uncle Private already brought the boxes. Let's get to work!" The tree was about twice Rusty's hight, and was made to look almost like a real tree, only made of soft material. Its base was made of wood, like a tree trunk. Rusty and Gracie pulled tinsel, and lights out of the boxes, and putting it on the tree. Rusty discovered the candy canes, and had one sticking out of his beak, as he sucked on it.

"Not too much tinsel! We don't want to block out the lights!" Gracie exclaimed, pulling off thick green tinsel that was really not needed. "There."

"What about these shiny glass balls?" Rusty asked, pulling out a red bauble.

"Um, yeah, put some of those on, and then turn on the lights," Gracie agreed, as she sifted through another box. "Oh!"

"What is it?" Rusty asked.

"Look at this!" Gracie climbed out of the box, holding a silver star made of glass, the shimmered in the Christmas tree lights. "Where is this supposed to go?"

"I think it goes at the top," Rusty replied, pointing. "Here, let me give you a boost." He lifted Gracie onto his shoulders, as she leaned out and placed the star at the top of the tree.

"Have you… got it?" Rusty grunted. "You're only slightly heavier than you look."

"Almost…. Got it! WHOA!" Gracie fell backwards as Rusty lost his balance. Luckily, none of them landed on the tree. Rusty stumbled backwards, and tripped over into one of the boxes, while Gracie tumbled off his shoulders, and into a piled of tinsel left on the floor. Rusty groaned as he sat up, and climbed out of the box.

"Gracie?" he called. "Are you alright?" Gracie popped her head out of the tinsel pile.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she giggled. She jumped out the tinsel, and gazed at the tree. "It's so beautiful!" she breathed.

"Yeah," Rusty agreed.

Just then, the fish-bowl door slid open, and Private and the other three chicks jumped into the HQ.

"Skippah's coming!" he hissed, as he switched off the lights. "Hide!" Gracie quickly turned on the tree lights, and Private scooped her up, and hid behind the prize-door with her. Cam and Ace were in the lab, and Rusty and Cleo hid behind the TV. The HQ was dark, save the twinkling red lights of the tree. Everyone hardly dared to breathe, as the fish-bowl door slid open, and Skipper with his three team mates dropped inside. Cleo could see Skipper's silhouette from the lights, as he looked around, and stared at the tree.

"What on earth is going on here?" he exclaimed finally. Private climbed out from the door, and into Skipper's view. "Private, did you do this?"  
Me and the chicks, Skippah," Private replied, a smile on his beak. "We wanted to have a festive Christmas this year, so sent them out on a little mission."

"What do you think, Uncle Skippah?" Gracie asked, her eyes sparkling, and her beak grinning with excitement.

"What do I think?" Skipper asked, looking down at her, and the other four chicks that came out of hiding. "I think it's great! Outstanding, Private! Great job, Cam! Aces, Aces! Well done, Cleo! Amazing, Rusty! Excellent work, Grace!"

"Thank you, Dad!" Ace and Cam exclaimed.

"Thank you Uncle Skipper!" Cleo and Rusty chorused.

"I'm so glad you like it, Uncle Skippah!" Gracie cried, hugging Skipper around his waist. "We're going to have a great Christmas this year, aren't we, Daddy?"

"Yes, we will, Gracie," Private smiled, picking up his little daughter, and hugging her tightly.

"The best one in forever!" Rusty added.

"Forever and a day!" Cam cried.

"Forever and a year!" Cleo exclaimed.

"Forever and a billion years!" Ace grinned.

"KABOOM!" Rico added, as everyone laughed.

So there's my Christmas one-shot! YAY! Hope you like it! Please review! :D


End file.
